Financial Advisor Success

The Financial Advisor Success podcast brings you real success stories and insights from the most successful financial advisors, and leading industry consultants, about how to take your advisory business to the next level. Get a glimpse of what it's like behind the scenes building a successful advisory business, and how entrepreneurial advisors navigate the inevitable highs, and lows, of growing a firm. Whether you're a new financial advisor trying to get started on the right foot, or an experienced advisor who's hit a wall, we're here to give you the insights and inspiration you need to break through and reach the level of success you want to achieve. Subscribe to the show, and get even more at the leading industry blog Nerd’s Eye View at www.Kitces.com.

Mark Tibergien is the current CEO of Pershing Advisor Solutions, an advisement firm custodian to some of the wealthiest practices and clients in the world. Pershing is part of BNY Mellon, which oversees $33 trillion in assets globally. Mark was formerly a part of Moss Adams, where he pioneered the benchmarking studies that helped define and continue to shape the industry today.

In this episode, you’ll hear about how Mark got recruited into the early financial planning world back when he was still an aspiring journalist. He then talks about how his benchmark studies at Moss Adams helped him become one of the foremost authorities on professional practice management. Mark also shares the four stages of an advisory firm’s lifecycle, and the key roles that great leadership and people skills play in the establishment of a successful firm.

Deb Wetherby, owner of Wetherby Asset Management. The challenges and accomplishments Deb and her team have weathered provide an excellent case study in leadership, growth, and resource development. They have been intentional about creating systems that will facilitate growth while maintaining their focus on client management and high-quality customer service. We cover a number of topics on this episode that entrepreneurs with any aspiration for expansion should seriously consider.

Julie Littlechild is a speaker, writer, and researcher focused on understanding and improving financial advisors’ engagement with their teams and their clients. She is now the founder of Absolute Engagement, a firm that provides ongoing research into personal, client, and team engagement to support a dynamic business. One of her primary subjects of research, which is especially relevant helping financial advisors get more and better quality referrals from clients that will help grow your practice.

Julie talks about how she got drawn into the world of financial advisors in the first place and how she knew coaching wasn’t the right fit for her. We then discuss why satisfied clients often don’t translate into quality referrals, and the steps you can take to increase the number of referrals you do get. Julie also shares the experience of selling her coaching business

It’s taken Ron Carson considerable energy and determination to get where he is today, and this interview sheds light on all the hard work he’s done to build such an impressive career. While it mayseemlike successful people simply spring into existence, I hope these interviews show you that all financial planners encounter triumphs and obstacles alike.

Ron talks candidly his humble beginnings and the moment of physical, emotional, and professional burnout that actually turned into his career-making opportunity. He also shares the mistakes he’s made along the way, including his slow adaptation of technology and hesitance to invite other über-talented people into his practice’s inner circle. We then discuss Ron’s thoughts on making your employees into shareholders, and how he juggles the advising, mentoring, and charitable businesses he’s founded over the years.